


Unknown Graves

by Onehelluvapilot



Series: Tumblr prompt fics [11]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Friendship, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Hurt Percival (Merlin), Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-25
Updated: 2020-09-25
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:13:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26638624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Onehelluvapilot/pseuds/Onehelluvapilot
Relationships: Lancelot & Percival (Merlin)
Series: Tumblr prompt fics [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1922554
Comments: 2
Kudos: 18





	Unknown Graves

Lancelot was usually the one who had bad days, days where he was melancholy or on edge, leftovers from a childhood spent alone and grieving. Percival, whose loss was much nearer, had nightmares often and sometimes it was evident that he was still in mourning, but he wasn't prone to isolating himself in fear and grief in the same way as Lancelot. Which was why Lance was the only one to worry when Percival disappeared as soon as patrol had ended.

He wasn’t in his room, though his armor was there so he’d clearly at least dropped by before leaving. There was no sign of him in the dining hall, the training yard, or up on the parapets. Lance was doubling back to the stables, trying to figure out whether Percival had taken his horse out again, when he ran into Gwen.

“Are you looking for Percival?” she asked before he could apologize for bumping into her and ask whether she’d seen him. “I haven’t seen him personally, but Ella told me she saw him entering a cemetery in the lower town.” Lancelot frowned. That certainly was odd enough behavior to warrant a remark from the young laundress in question, especially given that the knight’s family wasn’t buried in Camelot.

“Thanks,” Lancelot said, nodding briefly to Guinevere before running off towards the lower town. He hadn’t taken the time to remove his own armor, and his cape flashed behind him in the late afternoon sun.

Percival wasn’t hard to spot in the small graveyard near the church. His big form was bent over one of the small crosses near the front, head bowed.

"Percy?" Lancelot asked. His friend shifted, so he knew he'd heard, but didn't reply or turn to look at him. "I'm coming closer, alright? And I'm going to put a hand on your shoulder, unless you object." There was no immediate answer, so Lance slowly did as he had warned. Percival didn't even stir when a hand came to rest on his shoulder, but his whole body was taut. A few tears ran down his face and his eyes were fixed straight ahead on the gravestone. There was no name on it, and Lancelot wondered who it was for, or if Percival even knew the person buried there. He didn’t have many friends outside of the castle, and any knights who died would be entombed under the castle or sent home to be buried on their estate for the noblemen among them.

A heaving sigh broke the illusion of Percival being a statue. His breath stuttered a little on either end as he clearly tried to pull himself back together, and the look in his eyes softened a little as he seemed to come back into himself.

“Hey,” Lancelot whispered, very carefully moving his arm around Percy’s back.

“Hi. Sorry, I didn’t notice you come over,” he replied, voice kind of tight.

“Yeah, I noticed that. Do you want to talk about it?” The big knight shook his head. Lancelot knelt down beside him. “Okay. I’ll just be here with you then.”


End file.
